Project LAMB
by CelticMagic
Summary: A neo-noir fic with twists, turns, and lyrical references. When a mysterious person blackmails computer genius Kristy Damon to help him track down his missing brother, it happens to be more than what she bargained for. Now the government wants to enlist her to do their bidding as well. Is playing double-agent really the best way to keep yourself protected from your own mistakes?
1. Just a Girl

**Author's Note: Head's up, this story is kinda a spin-off of Odaiba High School Host Club: The Next Generation. So it would kinda be best to read that story first before you head on to this one. You don't necessarily have to, but there's some extra background story just to enhance this story. If you don't, not a biggie, I'll try to remember to write extra details as if this was a separate work of its own so that people don't get lost, cause it's like not everyone has "watched" the prior series. So I apologize if I forget, cause I just recently was in the end of writing the Odaiba Host Club story. Now, I have two Odaiba Host Club stories, so it's the Odaiba High School Host Club: THE NEXT GENERATION, just to be clear! It's different and (thank God) a little shorter than the first "season" even though both stories happen right next to each other. But just to repeat, if you want to get a slightly more enhanced reading experience, read Odaiba High School Host Club: THE NEXT GENERATION first, lol. Thank you! And of course, lots of love and candy,**

 **Lily!**

 **Just a Girl**

" _Take this pink ribbon off my eyes/_

 _I'm exposed/_

 _And it's no big surprise..._ "

"Game over, you have anything to say before we finish up here?"

"What's there to say?"

"I'm surprised... I would have thought you'd pull the ' _I'm just a girl, little ol' me!'_ bit."

"Well don't let me out of your sight..."

"Cute...well, you're not just a girl to me. You're one of the smarter people I've dealt with. But when I tell you to do one thing, I expect you to take it seriously. There's a reason I still manage to slip through the cracks, while everyone else...well, you know what happens."

"You're just that good, aren't you?"

"You underestimated me, and even now, I know you're still doing it. Let me tell you something though- that'll be your last mistake."

* * *

"And with that being said, I hope this assembly brought some awareness to everyone about allergies. Does anyone have any questions before we end this assembly?" a nurse spoke in the middle of the gymnasium. "Yes, the student over there with his hand up? Come on over?"

"Hi! Just a very important question! We're not gonna be one of those schools that'll have to ban peanut butter, are we? Cause I like peanut butter. Probably not as much as Cam's dog-," Takuya was cut off.

"Hahahaha!" the students, and some of the teachers laughed.

"Enough!" a young, stern-looking woman in a dress suit sharply said. She had chin-length brown hair and a serious demeanor about her, it was almost hard to believe that she was only in her late twenties.

"Yes, Principal Himekawa," Takuya bit his lip.

"As far as we can, we'll try keep as many of the foods in the school as possible. If we got rid of all of the allergens, we might only be left with something along the lines of matzo bread, and that might not even be a possibility for some people," a young man with disheveled dark hair said. He wore a lab coat, beach shorts, and pink bunny slippers.

"Thanks VP Daigo," Takuya nodded and returned to the bleachers.

"Any more questions?" the nurse asked.

"No? Alright. Then it's time to head to second period. Five minutes, everyone," the stern-looking woman said.

"Ugh, lame...," a couple of students grumbled.

"Jesus Christ," a nervous Kristy Damon took a deep breath. She tried to pace quickly to her locker without having to make small talk with anyone. The last thing she wanted to do was be held up by anything. In fact, she just wanted to run and not stop at all for anything, but of course that wasn't a realistic possibility. She tugged her lock open and opened the door to find a purple envelope fall out. "What's this?" she picked it up. She looked around her to see if anyone was watching her, but it seemed like everyone was just doing their own thing. She subtly opened it up and pulled a piece of paper out.

 _I know what you did._

"This isn't good...," Kristy felt her stomach drop. She held her breath and quickly stuffed the envelope in her textbook.

"Hey baby sister!" her older brother, Marcus snuck up behind her and dropped his hands on her shoulders.

"Eep!" Kristy shrieked.

"Someone's a little jumping bean," Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"You scared me, of course I'm going to jump!" Kristy snapped.

"Ah, chill. You're a bit edgy today. Come to think of it, I don't think you even ate breakfast today, did ya?" Marcus asked.

"Marcus. I need to get to class...," Kristy sighed.

"Yeah, I should too. I'm late way too many times," Marcus shrugged. "I'll catch you around then."

"Okay, okay! Just bye!" Kristy closed her locker and dashed away. She walked to her classroom and took her usual seat in the front row. Just act normal, just act normal..., she thought to herself.

* _flick_ * a paper football flitted onto her desk.

"What the hell?" Kristy opened it up.

 _Look up._

"Hello."

"Hi...?" Kristy faked a smile. "Can I help you?"

"I saw you in the hallway, so now you can't pretend you didn't get my first message because I know," an androgynous-looking teenager smiled back at Kristy, almost in an eerie way. Kristy felt uneasy at the sight of the mysterious person. She couldn't tell if the person standing in front of her was a girl or a guy, if the hair color was black or just a very dark blue, or if the smile was friendly or malicious. The only thing that was certain was that the person had such bright blue eyes, which were almost too piercing to look at for more than a couple of seconds.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you from somewhere?" Kristy asked.

"The name's Ken Ichijoji, and we've definitely met before. Several times," the ambiguous person smiled again.


	2. Rich Girl

**Rich Girl**

"The name's Ken Ichijoji and we've definitely met before. Several times."

"Oh. I'm sorry I don't remember," Kristy pursed her lips.

"It's okay, I don't take it personally. You're not really as aware of your surroundings as you should be, which is is why I have a little proposition for you. Meet me at this address after school," the boy slipped her another piece of paper.

"Okay," Kristy said.

"If you don't, there will be consequences. So, I'll take it that I'll see you later?" Ken smiled.

"Yeah," Kristy nodded.

"Good," Ken smirked.

* * *

 _Flashback_...

"Kristy?" a boy with curly dark hair and glasses approached Kristy from behind.

"Cam? Hi! Uh... what's up?" startled, Kristy dropped a large bag of shrimp on the ground.

"I missed you all day," the boy flashed her a smile. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, just peachy," Kristy nervously said.

"Huh. I see you're not gonna be joining us at our meeting today. Are you sure you're okay?" the boy smirked.

"Yeah, everything's good here! Marcus just told me that they're making a yummy dish today in Culinary Club and probably even more in the next couple of weeks. South American food is delicious, can't resist that!" Kristy turned red.

"What are you guys making today?" the boy asked.

"Uh...," Kristy paused.

"It's called ceviche! Shrimp. You like?" Marcus chimed in.

"Oh no! I can't eat that stuff. Highly allergic to shellfish," the boy shook his head. "Well, have fun, Kristy...," he smirked and walked away.

* * *

* _buzzzz_ * Kristy pressed the doorbell to the apartment. She looked back at the piece of paper and then back at the number at the door.

"I hope this is the right place," Kristy muttered.

"Hi, come on in," Ken opened the door.

"Thank you," Kristy said.

"Let's go to my room," Ken smirked.

"I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with that," Kristy said. She slid her hand in her blazer pocket and fidgeted with the knife she had inside.

"Hey, I call the shots here. And it's okay. I don't want or have the time to do funny business. Now let's go," Ken said.

"Fine," Kristy took a deep breath and followed Ken into his room.

"I'm just going to lock the door," Ken said. "And you can take your hands out of your pockets. I know you have a blade inside. Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it by now."

"What?" Kristy's eyes grew big.

"I told you, I'm not here to waste time," Ken said. "I asked you over because you're the only one for the job."

"What job?" Kristy asked.

"I have a feeling that my brother is still alive out there and I want to track him down," Ken said.

"Still alive?" Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"He supposedly died when someone ran him over with a car eight years ago. But strange enough, no one was able to find the body after he was declared dead on arrival, so I have a feeling that some funny business was going on there. With his body missing, we couldn't even throw a proper funeral, we just had to through a memorial service," Ken said.

"So you think someone snatched the body?" Kristy asked.

"My brother was a wunderkind to put into simple terms. He used to be on the fluff segments on the news fairly often for breaking records and just being the best at everything. I don't know if he was kidnapped or just ran away because he wanted to live an anonymous life, but I still think he's alive. I know you know about the Wired...," Ken said.

"What are you talking about?" Kristy said.

"You're not as invisible as you think you are. Sure, you might not have an account, but I know you lurk. And if _I_ know, there might be other people who might catch on as well. I suggest you start getting involved, even if you just add filler. If you ask me, it's time to blend in, before you get caught. All secrets get found out eventually," Ken smirked.

"What are you trying to say?" Kristy said.

"I really don't think you're in the right position to be playing coy. And heck, I'll sweeten the deal a little. How's a million dollars sound?" Ken said.

"A million dollars? You're joking, right? I highly doubt you have that," Kristy scoffed.

"Have you heard of crypto currency?" Ken asked.

"I'm vaguely familiar with it," Kristy said.

"Well, I have plenty to go around. And to show you I'm good for it, I'll give you half of it now, and the other half when you complete your mission. And also, I'll keep what you did between the two of us," Ken said.

"I don't know. I really don't want anything to do with the Wired anymore," Kristy said.

"Too late. Once you go in the Wired, you're in it for life. But don't think of it as a death sentence, but as a lifetime opportunity! If you were a rich girl- you see, you'd have all the money in the world, if you were a wealthy girl. Think what that money could bring, you could buy everything," Ken smirked.

"No, all the riches don't mean anything to me," Kristy shook her head. "Also, it's only a million dollars. The cash flow would end in this crappy economy."

"Okay...how's two million sound? Last offer- otherwise I talk," Ken said.

"Fine. You have a deal," Kristy extended her hand. "I'll help you track down your brother. Tell me everything you have about him, and then deposit the first half into my crypto account. You can find me at SpecialKDJ by the way," Kristy said.

"I thought you weren't too familiar with crypto currency," Ken smirked.

"I know certain things. For example, how to accept deposits," Kristy said.

"Fair enough," Ken said. "We have a deal."


	3. What Are You Waiting For?

**What Are You Waiting For?**

"Kristy, where's Marcus? I thought you guys would be together after school," Mrs. Damon asked.

"No, I had to meet up with a classmate for a project," Kristy said.

"Okay. Then I guess he should be coming soon. Dinner's not ready yet, but leave the TV on the news channel for your father," Mrs. Damon said.

"Sure thing, Mom," Kristy headed to the living room.

" _For this week's network-to-network face off, we have SMNBC's Rasheeda Maddox and Lynx News Tammy Lauren. Let's just say, this one will be an interesting debate. What's the topic? Oh, it's about the death of a student in one of the schools in the Greater Tokyo Area. Who do you think should be ultimately responsible for what happened?_ " an announcer said.

" _Obviously, the child! Clearly, as a teenager, he was old enough to know what he's allergic to! He deserves to die if he's too careless to pay any mind of what he puts in his body and his parents are just liberal snowflakes that think they can sue everyone every time they make a mistake! No, it's time to hold accountability for your actions! Where was his Epi-pen?_ " a young, blonde girl defensively pointed at the camera.

" _Hold on, Tammy. Reel it in! The parents are not suing the school or anyone else for that matter. They just want to know how it happened in the first place,_ " the announcer said.

" _Easy! The kid put the allergen in his mouth, which he should have known better of doing! And why didn't he carry an Epi-pen with him at all times? Sorry parents, your child is not the brightest crayon in the box. That's your fault!_ " the blond girl said.

" _Rasheeda, do you have any comments?_ " the announcer said.

" _You know what? I do think there was some foul play at hand here. I don't believe someone would intentionally eat something they were deathly allergic too, unless they were suicidal. Now, maybe there was a possibility that there was some cross-contamination? If his allergy reactions were that high enough to cause death, even a small presence can bring dangerous effects,_ " a lady with a fauxhaux said.

" _That's very true,"_ the announcer said.

" _Then that's where we need to bring up the facts! First of all, can we really say that it was anaphylaxis? Yes, that's what the autopsy said, but if there was no food on site, how is that possible in the first place? What? Wouldn't anaphylactic shock take effect in a couple of minutes and boom, you're dead? I think we should question the witnesses who called for the paramedics as well! Fact, facts, facts, people! I can't rest until we get all the facts!_ " the blonde girl angrily clapped.

"Oh boy...," Kristy winced.

* * *

 _Flashback_...

"Congratulations, everyone! Now take your creations home to share...or not share. Up to you! Have a good night," a wiry man with wispy brown hair and glasses beamed.

"You too," Kristy said.

"Nice! Two of us means two helpings of ceviche," Marcus grinned. "Ready to go?"

"In a minute. I have to grab some stuff from my locker," Kristy said.

"I'll meet you at home then!" Marcus said.

"Don't eat my ceviche!" Kristy ate a piece of shrimp.

"Cool your jets, I'll wait until you're home to eat your food," Marcus smirked.

"Marcus!" Kristy snapped.

"Damn, I hate when you do that. You remind me of Mom!" Marcus shivered.

"You should get going. That shrimp shouldn't be out too long. I'll meet you at home," Kristy said.

"Actually, I forgot! I gotta meet the guys at Izzy's tonight! Can you take the shrimp home?" Marcus asked.

"You trust me?" Kristy said.

"Just remember, I'm still bigger than you...," Marcus grinned.

"I'm not scared of you, and I'll tell Mom!" Kristy smirked.

"Chill, I was kidding! See you later," Marcus nodded and walked off.

"Peace! So good...," Kristy said as she chewed on a piece of shrimp.

"Ahh! Let go of me!"

"Shut up or we'll get caught!"

"Is anyone-"

"I said shut up!"

"What on Earth...? Oh my God! I knew it!" Kristy shrieked.

"Ahhh! Help me!" a blonde girl screamed.

"Dammit!" Cam punched the wall.

"Zoe?!" Kristy ran up to them.

"Just go! And you say one word to anyone, and you're gonna be dead for real!" Cam shooed the girl away.

"Uh huh...," the girl whimpered and ran off.

"I don't care...it wasn't even Zoe anyways. But you...," Cam waved a switchblade in front of Kristy. "Hey Damon...finally, just the two of us alone...you...you're a smart girl, aren't you? Always had your eye on me, didn't you?" Cam pinned Kristy to the wall. "But I knew you were watching my every move..."

"What do you mean?" Kristy trembled.

"Don't play stupid with me! I know you're a shadow...," Cam flicked his switchblade and smoothly slid it over Kristy's cheek. "Keep acting dumb and and this knife will cut through skin, understand?"

"What are you talking about?" Kristy winced.

"You know exactly what I mean!" Cam pressed the blade down.

"Ow!" Kristy yelled.

"I didn't even hurt you yet!" Cam covered her mouth with his arm. "I know you've been hiding away on the Wired...and I know you've been trying to help your new friend Zee... trying to protect her from people like me, huh?" Cam smirked.

"The Wired? And what do you mean 'protect from people like you'? Are you saying something that I should know about?" Kristy asked.

"Why did you yell 'I knew it' when you saw me with that girl then? I know you know something. Don't play stupid Kristy, cause the last thing I like is stupid people," Cam flicked his switchblade.

"I... I just thought that you had a huuuuge crush on Zoe. I don't know what all of this Wired business or protecting people nonsense is, but by the way you're holding me down, it kind of suggests there's more to the story than that," Kristy said.

"Stop playing with me! This isn't funny! What else do you know?" Cam shouted in her face.

"Just...shut up and kiss me," Kristy grabbed Cam by the face and pressed her lips against his.

"Mmm, grrmphh omff mmm!" Cam wriggled under her grip.

"I know, it feels so good," Kristy whispered.

"No, stop! Can't breathe!" Cam croaked.

"You flatter me," Kristy said as she wrapped her tongue around his.

"Uhhkk, hkkm, huhkk!" Cam began to wheeze.

"You're really too much!" Kristy smirked.

"Hkkk...," Cam wheezed as his body began to shake. Seconds later, his legs gave out and he fell on top of Kristy.

"Oh no...what happened? I can't move...," Kristy unenthusiastically said as she lied underneath Cam's unconscious body.

* * *

"Dinner's ready! I made shrimp scampi!" Mrs. Damon beamed.

"Thanks, Mom...uhhh, do you mind if I take this to my room? I have a lot to do for my project and I'm already behind," Kristy said.

"I guess," Mrs. Damon frowned.

"Thanks," Kristy grabbed her plate and headed to her room.

 _*beep beep*_

"What's this?" Kristy looked at her phone.

 _DigiEmperor16 deposited π500.000 into your account. Have fun!_

"Awesome...now I just have to figure out how to turn that into real money," Kristy turned on her computer. She clicked open her browser and started typing away at the search engine. "Ugh, unbelievable! How am I supposed to use this money if I can't...use it?" she pounded her fists on her keyboard.

 _*knock knock*_

"Hey Kristy...?"

"Sup?" Kristy grimaced.

"I see you're back on the computer," Marcus frowned.

"Yeah... I guess I was overreacting," Kristy bit her lip.

"I wouldn't call it that...well, just be careful what you do on that. Maybe just stick to stuff like Disney Channel and Justin Bieber, or whatever girls like. Just don't do any more creepy shit. I don't want to see you freak out on me like that anymore, okay?" Marcus said.

* * *

 _Flashback_...

"Jesus, people have serious issues," Kristy leaned into her computer monitor as she scrolled down the screen. "Ugh, someone needs to do something about that Cameron kid- how he's still walking around alive after saying that, ever disgusts me! Oh my...is that? MARCUS! Come quick!" Kristy sprung up from her seat.

"What, you little brat? Now you're hungry?" Marcus laughed from the kitchen.

"No. You better run to the boys' locker room by the sports fields as soon as possible! Your friend, Izzy's in trouble," Kristy firmly said.

"What? What do you mean?" Marcus asked.

"No more! No more! No more!" Kristy smashed her keyboard against the computer monitor.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell, Kristy?!" Marcus ran into Kristy's room.

"I know what happened to Jeri Katou...And I know what's going to happen to your friend Izzy, but I didn't think it was gonna get this far... I can't watch this unfold anymore," Kristy fell to her knees and wept.

"Wait! Rewind! What are you talking about?" Marcus shook his head.

"The Wired! The Wired!" Kristy screamed.

"I don't know what that means!" Marcus yelled.

"It's a place...where people can talk about things they'd never dare say in public...a secret society you will... So many forums... anything innocent from high school crushes to the worst things imaginable. Imagine terrorist plots, drug and human trafficking, robberies, suicide pacts, everything! The number one rule of the Wired is that everything stays secret within the thread," Kristy hyperventilated.

"Okay, Kristy...just calm down...," Marcus spoke slowly.

"I can't! I need to disconnect from everything!" Kristy ripped the power cords from the outlets.

"You're freaking me out!" Marcus gasped.

"I got too carried away! It started out innocently enough. It was fun getting to read everyone's private thoughts...but then when people have the freedom to truly say what they think, is it something you're really ready for? I don't know, I was hooked. Granted, I couldn't look at some of my classmates the same anymore, but it was like a trainwreck- you just had to keep watching no matter how ugly it got...Here! I printed out everything your friend wrote before he...please, just don't share this with the whole school! I just thought you'd want to see his final plans!" Kristy threw a packet of paper at Marcus.

"What the...," Marcus flipped through the packet. "Oh my God... just why?!"

"I didn't think it would get this far!" Kristy cried.

"It's not your fault!" Marcus yelled.

"But I just stood back and watched... I didn't do anything at all," Kristy hiccuped. "They're going to go after me! They know I said something..."

"Stop it! No one is going to go after you! I'll make sure of it!" Marcus said.

"No...this is much bigger than you can imagine," Kristy whimpered.

"Go now! You don't have much time!" Kristy barked.

"Okay, I'm going!" Marcus grabbed his keys and ran out the door.

* * *

"You hear me? No more creepy shit! Just go on Club Penguin or something. Do cutesy stuff. Or play with the girls! I think that Zoe girl misses you! You should go catch up with her! I think she'd really like that!" Marcus said.

"Yeah," Kristy nodded.

"Stay away from the weird stuff," Marcus wagged his finger at her.

"Yes," Kristy said.

"You done with that?" Marcus pointed at Kristy's empty plate.

"Oh. Here," Kristy handed him her plate.

"Thank you! Now go back to what you were doing!" Marcus grinned and closed the door after him.

"Okay," Kristy said. She pressed a couple of buttons until her screen turned black. "404 Not Found? What the heck? I've only been gone a week at most... whatever, I'll figure that out tomorrow. I guess what's most important is trying to figure out how to spend this money," Kristy pressed a couple of buttons and went back to her regular screen.

* * *

 _The next day..._

"Good morning, Damon...," Ken smirked.

"Morning," Kristy said.

"Any leads yet?" Ken asked.

"Uh...nothing as of now. I've been up all night trying to-"

"No. Don't you lie to me," Ken gripped her by wrist.

"What? But I have been up all night!" Kristy gasped.

"Perhaps that is true. You do look like you haven't slept a wink. But it's definitely not because of what I've asked of you," Ken subtly twisted Kristy's wrist.

"Okay, can you not?" Kristy gritted through her teeth.

"Fine. But I don't like liars. You really are behind on the times, you know that?" Ken smirked.

"What do you mean?" Kristy asked.

"The server's been shut down for three days now," Ken said. "About since the death of a certain Cam Burkhart...was it deliberate or a mere coincidence? Doesn't matter, people don't want to chance being sitting ducks. They're starting from scratch."

"Oh," Kristy pursed her lips.

"If you don't want to be late to the party, I suggest you check out Club Penguin," Ken said.

"Excuse me?" Kristy rapidly shook her head back and forth.

"It's a speakeasy hidden within Cyberia- you know, that nightclub in Shibuya," Ken said.

"Cute," Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"Ironic, since not so cute stuff goes on there. Just mention Club Penguin and they'll lead you to the secret compartment. Maybe I'll see you later tonight," Ken said.

"Possibly," Kristy nodded.

"Even if I miss you, you better show up tonight. I'll find out if you don't step foot," Ken said.

"Got it," Kristy said.

"Well have a good morning. I have to go to my homeroom," Ken smirked.

"Same," Kristy nodded. She wondered what she got herself into. On one hand, the money seemed good and he said he'd protect her alibi, but on the other hand, did she really have a say in this? If only there was something that she could swallow or inject to relax herself. She needed to escape her new life somehow.

* * *

"Hey Mom, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be going to a friend's after school. We have a massive project that'll take the span of several weeks, so I probably won't be home too often," Kristy said.

"Wow, that sounds like a very extreme assignment for a first-year student," Mrs. Damon exclaimed.

"Hey, remember I tested into the sophomore classes! Of course it'll be a little more intense than the first-year students!" Kristy nervously clutched onto her phone.

"Hmm, well okay. I'll still set aside a plate for you. Just don't stay out too late," Mrs. Damon said.

"I'll try to keep in mind of the time," Kristy said.

"Alright honey. I'll see you later. Good luck," Mrs. Damon said.

"Thanks Mom. Bye," Kristy hung up her phone. She was about to cross the street until a black sedan cut her off her path. "What the heck?! I was walking here!" she gasped.

"Damon?" a lean, blond guy stepped out from the back seat of the car. He appeared to be no older than a high school senior, yet he carried himself as if he was someone of importance. His blond hair flared out, almost like one of those female heartthrobs from decades past, and his slanted blue eyes had a mischievous glint to them.

"Excuse me?" Kristy grimaced.

"You're Kristy Damon, sophomore at the Odaiba High School Host Club. You transferred here from Yokohama, where you were actually in your last year at Yokohama West Middle School. I see you skipped a year, so you must be a very smart girl," the guy said.

"How do you know this?" Kristy froze.

"I'm Special Agent Ishida. Come with me," the guy opened the car door.

"Uh...," Kristy made a face.

"I just want to have a little chat with you about your new friend Ken Ichijoji, if that's okay with you," the guy said.

"I think I'll pass," Kristy nodded.

"Hey, you don't have to say a word. I can do all the talking. I just wanted to give you some information. You wouldn't want to let this opportunity go, now would you? Especially when you could use all the info you can get?" the guy smirked.

"Okay, I'll bite," Kristy said.

"Hop in," the guy said.

"Thank you," Kristy nodded and climbed into the car.

"I have to say, you're definitely not like your brother. I used to go to school with him, and he would have most likely beat me to a pulp before I could even say my side of the story. Not saying he's a bad guy, my friends tell me that Marcus is actually a stand-up kind of guy, and I've hung with their after-school group before-"

"What the-how? You know my brother?" Kristy gasped.

"Yep. Year below me, but he was friends with a bunch of my other friends. I didn't know him as well because the club leader didn't want me in the club because he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but that's a story for another day. So, we tracked you down because supposedly you were hired to find out about Sam Ichijoji. I'll save you the time and just tell you he's dead, and he's always been dead since he was declared dead by the coroner, is that clear to you? Dead, dead, dead- there's no questioning it," the agent pulled out a cigar and blew on it, but instead of smoke, bubbles came out of it.

"What the heck...?" Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh this? It's called Bathwater. It's not as gross as it sounds. Cleaner than traditional smoking. Also, I like making bubbles. Wanna try?" the agent held up the cigar.

"No thanks," Kristy shook her head. "But if Sam really is dead, why is Ken hiring me to find him? He told me that he believes that Sam is still alive. And why should I take your word anyways?"

"Look, I showed you my badge, I'm Special Agent Ishida- but you know what, you can call me Matt. We work side by side with the military agencies, yes, like the ones that got your family transferred to Tokyo. So in a way, if you work with us, it's like you'll be working with your father, just a different branch," the agent said.

"Working with you? Now we're jumping around and not making any sense!" Kristy shook her head.

"Sorry about that. Sometimes my mind's like a cat in heat stuck in a moving car. Scary conversations- hey, I might use that in a song. Did I also tell you, I'm a musician on the side?" Matt smiled.

"You should probably find a new hobby," Kristy frowned.

"Wow... that hurts. Anyways, the agency really would like you to work with them because they think your skill sets would be very helpful. And now that you're working with Ichijoji, you could help us gather exclusive intel that we've unsuccessfully tried to retrieve in the past," Matt blew on his cigar.

"So you want me to play double agent?" Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty much. It's perfect! The fact that you're working with Ichijoji means you know about the existence of the Wired. Well, we know it was shut down but relocated someplace else-"

"And you want me to tell you guys?" Kristy interrupted.

"God no! Not yet, we need to lay low. Right now, we just need someone on the inside to observe. Anyways, back to the Ichijoji case, we believe that someone out there is throwing red herrings to fuck with people's minds, to put it into simple terms. For example, there was a girl who jumped off a building off the high school- _our_ high school to be precise- so you know who I'm talking about. Jeri Katou. Dead, no questioning it. Nasty fall, head cracked like a watermelon. Anyways, her father's convinced his daughter's still alive, hiring a private investigator to track her down, no results. In the US, a kid Michael Washington kills himself by washing a couple of pills down with mixture of ammonia and bleach- and had a Tide Pod in his mouth for good measure. Don't even wanna picture what looks like, but dead! No doubt about it! Yet his grandmother is convinced that he's still alive, and she constantly calls the NYPD asking if he's turned up. Then there's Cameron Burkhart...that one, we're not too sure about," Matt tapped his chin.

"What?!" Kristy gasped.

"Yeah...they said he died from anaphylaxis. It's been all over the news stations right now, and oh boy, that Tammy Lauren sounds like she has dentures sliding in her mouth or something. Dumb as hell, but I'd tap that anyways," Matt nodded.

"I don't think that's appropriate," Kristy winced.

"You were on the Wired, you've seen a lot worse. Anyways, we're actually kind of doubtful about Cameron Burkhart, which is very alarming because he showed disturbing behavior online, so who knows. Regardless, we need to find out who's sending these red herrings- if it's just Ken just trying to keep you busy and distracted from something bigger at play," Matt smirked.

"What?!" Kristy gasped.

"Yeah, Ken's not exactly on our most trustworthy list either. He hasn't done anything to get us barging on his doors, but there's something suspicious about him, we should tread carefully," Matt said. "Look, we're here!"

"How long are we going to be here, because I _really_ have someplace to be," Kristy bit her lip.

"Tell me something, does Ken intimidate you a bit? Be honest, we're here to protect," Matt got out of the car and held his badge in front of a kick.

 _*click click*_

"Well, I'm very wary of him. There's something about him that makes me want to be very cautious," Kristy said.

"Okay," Matt nodded. "Let's turn left here, and then right...and here we are! Welcome to DATS!" he led her into an open room full of computer equipment. "Girls, where are you?!"

"Coming!" two girls ran up to them. One of them had long, straight black hair and narrow dark eyes, and the other girl had short, wavy blonde hair and big hazel eyes.

"I'm Miki," the brunette one said.

"And I'm Megumi, but you can call me Meg! It's so nice to meet you!" the blonde girl gushed.

"I'm Kristy, likewise," Kristy nodded.

"Maki and Daigo will be here shortly. Might as well boot the screens up now so everything will be connected by the time they get here," Miki fiddled with her headset.

"Daigo? I feel like I've only heard of-"

"Hey, aren't you one of our students?" VP Daigo grinned.

"VP Daigo? What are you doing here?" Kristy asked.

"We could ask you the same thing, but we're the ones who asked you here," Principal Himekawa said. "By the way, you can call me Maki when we're here. Just keep it professional when we're in school."

"Now I'm really confused," Kristy said.

"There's no time for confusion," a blond man with sunglasses walked into the room. "They work for us just like you do. Whatever happens here, stays here- like Vegas. My name is Yamaki, I'm head of the Tokyo department. Maki and Daigo here are like my second-in-commands," the man said.

"Okay," Kristy made a face.

"Is everyone here?" Yamaki asked.

"Fujieda for Osaka!" one computer screen said.

"Yushima live from Okinawa!"

"Sampson reporting for Yokohama!"

"Norstein signing in for Austria!"

"Austria?" Kristy mouthed.

"One of our members lives in Austria several months of the year, dual citizenship," Matt said.

"Oh," Kristy said.

"So, we brought Damon with us!" Matt said loudly.

"Where is he?" the Yokohama screen said.

"He?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, we wanted Marcus Damon," the Yokohama screen said.

"Oh, Matt! This is the worst!" the Osaka screen groaned.

"Yoshi, you need to take a chill pill, you sound like my high school crush, and it's not hot this time!" Matt said.

"Matt!" the Osaka screen yelled.

"How can you screw this up?" the Austria screen scoffed.

"Hey, you guys told me to fetch the Damon kid! That's all you told me to do, so I got the one that I thought you wanted me to get!"

"In his defense, that is what you said!" Daigo nodded. "It's not his fault that you weren't specific enough."

"But we were looking for Marcus! We need some more brute force on this team and Fujieda and I can't do this alone," the Yokohama screen groaned.

"Then you should have said his name!" Matt said.

"I can see I'm not wanted here, I think I'm free to go now," Kristy nodded.

"No, you know way too much now," Maki shook her head.

"Look guys, I thought you guys wanted Kristy because she's highly intelligent and she has close interactions with Ken Ichijoji, so naturally that's who I went to. Also, Marcus is known for being loud and having a short fuse, and is that someone we can afford to have on our team?" Matt asked.

"He does have a point there. I've came across Marcus before when I used to live in Tokyo, and let's just say he and subtlety don't go together," the Austria screen said.

"I just think we have enough intel on the team, we need more combat," the Yokohama screen said.

"Although that may be true, right now that's not as much a priority as figuring out who's behind these 'resurrections' and what reason. This is the Wired we're dealing with, and if Kristy has the resources without getting discovered, then that's perfect," Maki said.

"Well congratulations, Matt. First time you messed something up and it turns out better than planned," the Osaka screen said.

"Oh hush. Remember when I accidentally ordered the Tim Hortons K-Cups instead of Starbucks. Who loves me now? That's right, you can call me Daddy," Matt said.

"That's enough. This is a conference call, not a break room banter. Anyways, my hand is out of the pot. You didn't follow my instructions, so I'm not following this case. Good night," Yokohama shut their screen.

"Aww, come on Sampson! Don't be that way!" Matt laughed.

"He can't hear you, he logged off," the Austria screen huffed.

"Well, looks like Yokohama's not gonna be of any help. Anybody else care to be honest now so we don't waste any time?" Yamaki gritted his teeth.

"I think I'll have to withdraw myself as well. Nothing personal, but considering where I am now...," the Okinawa screen said.

"Fine. Anyone else?" Yamaki asked.

"Looks like the rest of us are in," the Austria screen said.

"Thank you. Have a good night," Yamaki shut the screens off. "Well that settles it. Welcome to the team, Damon."

"Uh-" Kristy's mouth hung open.

"Oh Matt, where's your manners? Get her the DATS equipment," Yamaki snapped his fingers.

"Right!" Matt nodded. He came back with a slim box. "Here you go!"

"A smartwatch?" Kristy asked.

"Smarter than what's on the market right now. But looks like your average Apple Watch," Matt took the watch out of the box. "And if you don't like the band, you can buy some other ones on Amazon. Like damn, you Harajuku girls got some wicked style, so it's all good. I mean, look at your little outfit!"

"This is my school uniform...," Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"What? You go to Odaiba, right?" Matt asked.

"Yeah?" Kristy asked.

"We changed the uniforms," Maki said.

"Damn... it's hard to think about my female classmates in a sexual way when they were dressed as Cub Scouts in green, but...not impossible!" Matt said.

"You're such a pig," Meg made a face.

"It's okay, he'll be back in Osaka soon enough," Miki smirked.

"Come with me, Damon. I'll drop you off wherever you need to go. It's the least I could do for almost running you over," Matt said.

"Okay...," Kristy made a face.

"It's okay, I'm just a pain in the ass. I'm not really as creepy as they think. It's just that once you get the ball rolling, you can't stop. But that goes for anything. Me, it's innuendos," Matt shrugged.

"I guess that's a relief," Kristy tapped at her watch and climbed into the car. "Look, I didn't necessarily agree to being part of the DATS team."

"And you didn't necessarily agree to being Ken's PI either, did you?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Kristy asked.

"Hey, we all know you know something about Burkhart's death. Only reason we're not giving you flack about it is because he was a bad, bad guy. We're not gonna force it out of you, but if we can find the COD so the news media outlets can stop talking about it, then that would be great! Cause no one is buying the allergic reaction bullcrap," Matt pulled out his cigar.

"What?" Kristy gasped.

"Yeah, why would someone in their right mind eat something they know they're allergic to?" Matt said. "Something fishy's at play and it wasn't whatever he ate!"

"I dunno about that," Kristy raised an eyebrow.

"So you think he actually did die from anaphylactic shock?" Matt leaned in close.

"Yeah, I would hope- I mean, think," Kristy cleared her throat.

"Well...," Matt tapped his cigar. "Take a look at your watch now."

"Oh, isn't that interesting...," Kristy timidly touched the face of the watch.

"Yep, that's right. Osaka, Tokyo...you can hit me up anytime whenever I'm not here," Matt shrugged. "You got a fancy watch now, you still a super fly female, and you got your million dollar contract. And this time, it'll be cash. Not that coin crap your friend is paying you with. So whatcha waiting for?"

"A million dollars? In cash?" Kristy asked.

"I got it right here," Matt pulled out a backpack with a couple of bricks of bills.

"It's not as large as I imagined," Kristy frowned.

"Yeah, I know. But what do you say?" Matt said.

"I guess you've got a deal," Kristy nodded.

"Come on, be a little more enthusiastic!" Matt said.

"Okay, you have a deal!" Kristy forced a smile.

"Good, good to hear!" Matt nodded.


End file.
